Where a Sake Lover Can Travel in Japan

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Our goal today is to introduce you to a few places a sake-loving tourist might want to visit. This is by no means a deep dive, but we hope to spark an interest in you. Let’s jump into it!

Nada-Gogo, Hyogo

Nada is Japan’s largest and most influential sake-producing region, and it’s known for bold, dry sake. Its success is said to have been driven by Miyamizu, which refers to its mineral-rich, hard water that changes fermentation, and its proximity to Yamadanishiki, a sake rice first bred in Hyogo that happens to be Japan’s most famous and commonly used varietal. Nada’s location near major ports like Osaka and Kobe as well as its access to rivers and coastal shipping routes made it easy for brewers to ship their sake across the country from the get-go. Ozeki, Hakutsuru, and Kikumasamune breweries — the first two of which are perhaps Japan’s most famous worldwide — were all born in Nada. If you’re in the area, you can explore the Nada Gogo district for tastings, tours, and sake museums.

Fushimi, Kyoto

Fushimi has been a sake brewing hub for over four centuries thanks to its ideal water sources and well-positioned location. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the famed 16th century unifier of Japan, ordered the building of Fushimi castle in the late 16th century and inadvertently spurred its sake industry as people poured in and settled in around it. The region’s waterways allowed for easy distribution, and that in turned helped Fushimi rival Nada in sake production. Today, around twenty breweries, including the famous and widespread Gekkeikan, call Fushimi their home. If you visit here, you can explore the Sake District, enjoy tastings, go on brewery tours, and visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum.

Saijo, Hiroshima

Saijo has a long sake brewing history dating back to the early 1700s. Because of its access to high quality mountain water and rice varietals like Omachi — one of the few old strains in common use that wasn’t produced through crossbreeding — the region has earned a reputation as western Japan’s sake capital. Today, there are over twenty breweries in the area, and you can experience some of Saijo’s history yourself at the annual Sake Matsuri and Sake Museum. Sakagura Dori (which literally means “Sake Brewery Road”) is a popular spot that’s lined with breweries displaying iconic, traditional white-lattice and red-tiled roofs.

Niigata

Amongst domestic sake lovers, Niigata is a huge name. The region’s crisp and soft water from the Echigo Mountains and its long, cold winters create perfect conditions for fermentation, which is probably why the prefecture contains nearly one hundred breweries. It’s not as touristy, so it’s a bit off the beaten path for most foreign tourists, but it’s a big destination for sake. Even if you’re just passing through, check out Ponshukan in Niigata station for a wall filled with vending machines for over 100 different sake that you can taste.